Tatts.

On one of my first free Friday nights in a long time I decided to go to The Windsor Castle to do some karaoke. Now, the Windsor Castle in Clapham Junction is really easy to get to and VERY straight. So straight, in fact, that Paul felt he needed a little butching up for the event.

Eddie, Ro and Kylie

It's been a fun start to the New Year - a mixture of tight deadlines and outrageous hours. The Royal Adelphi Hotel has now closed - missed by many I am sure. I shall miss Jacqui - who is currently in Australia - a great deal and there are elements of the job that I quite enjoyed but it was getting terribly stressful. The end of last year allowed me to fulfill an ambition for my flatmate Julie. For as long as I can remember she has be pestering me to introduce her to Eddie Izzard - her ideal man. So as he took over the Lyric Theatre I was able to take her out to dinner and then get to see him live. Imagine her surprise when my tickets included an invitation to his after-show party! Unfortunately I couldn't go, but Gareth was up for a night out - (well Imagine This was over and he was bored!) so Jules got to meet her hero.

Earlier this year it was Gareth's turn as we were invited to join the Drury Lane Theatre Trust for a slice of the Baddeley Cake. Gareth had always been asking me to get to meet Rowan Atkinson and as the Bean is currently playing Fagin at the Theatre Royal it became the perfect opportunity. It just so happened that Sean got us tickets to the preview that night so I saw the show too!

As for me, Thriller Live gave me the opportunity to meet Kylie!

Underwear Models and Eunuchs

For some reason, the New Year kicks off with a selection of gay themed plays. I am not naive enough to think that this is for any other reason than the fringe theatres are at a premium then - another premium time is August, when the rest of the acting world heads to Edinburgh for their culture. To my suprise the two plays I reviewed this month have been extremely good and have engendered in me, various different reactions. Studies For A Portrait at the White Bear look like it was going to be dreadful - the Press Release was a frenzy of superlatives and self importance. I took Sean along to break him in gently to:-

a) Fringe Theatres - particularly the awful service notorious at the White Bear
b) Seeing a play to the end because I have to and not because I want to

After the alteration to Blowing Whistles that now features gratuitous male nudity it came as no surprise that Studies For A Portrait featured the ubiquitous cock scene. Don't get me wrong - I love a naked body - but there was no need for it here, no matter how gorgeous the actor was. The fact is Studies - a play about vile personalities and ghastly behaviour - would work just as well without it.

Studies was difficult for me, not because of the nudity but because of the subject matter. When it boils down to it I guess I am an awful moralist and get annoyed when morally void people get what they want rather than what they deserve. Silly really. Sean couldn't quite understand my annoyance but I will say, it takes bloody good writing to stir me in such a way. And just to prove that I am not an old fart - here's a picture of Stephen Hagan who got naked in this play and also, as pictured here in the play The Giant. I am beginning to believe it may be written into his contract!

The other play is called The Choir. On a frosty night in Victoria I met up with Howard for the first time in 2009. The Choir featured absolutely no nudity but there again, it couldn't as the cast is supposed to have been castrated. A bit of a nightmare play this one and worth a ticket, should you find yourself in Victoria late one night. The Stag is a new venue for plays above an old venue for hook-ups. They need to sort out their bar staff a little - too too slow for words - but other than that it's a venue that offers lots of possibilities.

Looking Back

1. Give up smoking
2. Write a blog
3. Take a relevant photograph every day
4. Cycle more often
5. Drink as much water as I do coffee/tea each day
6. Aim to write at least two features per month
7. Complete a creative venture each week

And so to the New Year. It was fascinating to look back over the blog and see my NY Resolutions and discover whether or not I have upheld them. Well, I am pleased to say that the first one - after a false start admittedly has happened. I am no longer a smoker. I am not totally sure how I did it but I guess it was simply a case of not wanting the burden of cigarettes anymore. The financial committment is huge - £5.00 a pack to those who don't know! Gran Canaria was my last gasp, where cigarettes are still cheap. Upon returning home, I simply didn't want to anymore.

Secondly - well, I am still writing a blog so I am still quite pleased with that one. I have to say that my photography has not improved but it was fun making the video. I now have a new bike, which is an absolute dream to cycle. I have rapidly turned into a grumpy old man and cycling to work - even in freezing temperature or horrendous rain - is actually more pleasant than traveling on public transport in London.

My water intake is still miserable and it is true that I have now officially dehydrated. As to the written word - hmmmmmm, I am getting there. I must admit that this is now more of a necessity than a resolution as the hotel is no longer in business. As for creative ventures...... I am getting there. Certainly last year threw up some wonderful opportunities.

So, with Smoking out of the way, here are a list of Resolutions I can work on this year.

1. Take a relevant photograph every day
2. Cycle more often
3. Drink as much water as I do coffee/tea each day
4. Complete a creative venture each week
5. Work on tightening my stomach.
6. Be more disciplined about my writing.

OK - not exactly earth shattering but once you give up smoking you have kind of done it with resolutions. Maybe I should look to Lent and giving something up then.

The New Year

Gosh. It seems strange that I haven't been blogging regularly now for over 3 months. All I can say is that it has been extremely busy. I was worried about not posting anything for such a long time and then, on reflection, I never began started writing about my life until February last year anyway. This is because December and January have always been extremely busy for me.

The lead up to Christmas was particularly strange for me in many ways. I saw lots of shows, including the marvellous A Little Night Music at the Menier Theatre and was offered the Hackney Empire panto again lastyear. I had to turn it down, however due to prior commitments - more of which later.

Review of 2008

I know, it's very late. Very late - but this is the busiest time of the year. Enjoy!